Wednesday, March 11, 2009

CLEARWATER, Fla.—If you ponder the most impressive victory in Tigers history, you will understand how impressed Joe Maddon is with the Tigers’ new starting pitcher.
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Maddon manages the Tampa Bay Rays. He assumed that job three years ago—the same season right-hander Edwin Jackson joined the team.

Maddon saw Jackson’s muscular build. He saw his athleticism and all-around baseball ability. He saw how he had the power 1-2 combination of a fastball and a slider.

It reminded Maddon of a pitcher he watched when he grew up a Cardinals fan: St. Louis right-hander Bob Gibson.

So at one point—in 2007, as Jackson recalls—Maddon decided he wanted Jackson to see Gibson in action. That way, Jackson would get a look at the summit of the pitching profession he was trying to reach.

Maddon said he looked for a DVD of Gibson in the 1964 or 1967 World Series. In both, Gibson pitched a complete-game win in Game 7. Maddon didn’t shop for the 1968 Series, thanks to the Tigers.

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Actually, a lot of people don't see it, but I have always thought of him as a modern-day Verne Troyer, if Troyer had lived in another era and played professional baseball, and had hair and didn't wear those ridiculous glasses.

It reminded Maddon of a pitcher he watched when he grew up a Cardinals fan

A Cards fan from Hazleton, PA? Really?

The quote I remember from James regarding The Other Bob Gibson was "Who is this hack using Bob Gibson's name?" I think Miko has at least one more Abstract than I do, because that is a great line and I would have remembered it.

to be honest, I don't know what Edwin Jackson looked like, but just seeing the title of this article I immediately knew he was going to be black. I have no idea how he pitches or anything, but I know with 100% certainty that he is black, and is probably not a light black.

to be honest, I don't know what Edwin Jackson looked like, but just seeing the title of this article I immediately knew he was going to be black. I have no idea how he pitches or anything, but I know with 100% certainty that he is black, and is probably not a light black.

Correct, very dark skin. Also born in Germany, which I do not believe can be said of Mr. Gibson.

to be honest, I don't know what Edwin Jackson looked like, but just seeing the title of this article I immediately knew he was going to be black. I have no idea how he pitches or anything, but I know with 100% certainty that he is black, and is probably not a light black.

I'm I'm the writer and Maddon starts launching into "You know who Edwin Jackson reminds me of," I'm definitely screaming to myself, "Please don't make it a black guy. Please don't make it a black guy."

I'm I'm the writer and Maddon starts launching into "You know who Edwin Jackson reminds me of," I'm definitely screaming to myself, "Please don't make it a black guy. Please don't make it a black guy."

A few years ago, during a national broadcast of a Cubs-Cardinals game, the dumbass announcer noted that Corey Patterson is a lot like Lou Brock, "except for the strikeouts", and I remember yelling at the TV that the strikouts and skin color is the only thing they have in common.

If this happened today, how badly would we lambast red schoendienst over leaving gibson in to go 9 innings and face 33 batters in a 10-1 blowout in game 4?

In today's game, that wouldn't have happened. The manager would have removed him after seven* and used the last two men in his bullpen for one inning each.

-- MWE

* It was 6-1 through seven, then the Cards scored 4 in the top of the eighth. Gibson drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk (!) in that inning after homering earlier in the game; he very likely would have left for a pinch-hitter at that point in today's game.